The present application relates to gas turbines, especially to stationary gas turbines, as are reproduced in FIG. 1 in a perspective, partially sectioned view. FIG. 1 shows a type GT26 gas turbine 10 of the applicant. In this gas turbine 10, combustion air is inducted via an air intake 11 and compressed by a compressor 12 and fed into a first combustion chamber 13 for combusting a fuel. Arranged downstream of the first combustion chamber 13 is a first (high-pressure) turbine 14 which is driven by the hot gases from the first combustion chamber 13. Downstream of the first turbine 14 provision is made for a second combustion chamber 15 in which a fuel is combusted along with the residual oxygen which is present in the hot gases. The hot gases from the second combustion chamber 15 drive a second (low-pressure) turbine 16 before they are discharged via an exhaust gas housing 17 to the outside or (in a combined cycle power plant) into a subsequent heat recovery steam generator.
The exhaust gas housing 17 comprises an (essentially cylindrical) inner casing 19 which is concentrically encompassed by an outer casing 18 at a distance therefrom. Extending through the two casings is an annular gas passage (21 in FIG. 2) through which the hot exhaust gases (22 in FIG. 2) are discharged from the gas turbine 10. For protection against the exhaust gases, the outer casing 18 and the inner casing 19 are provided in each case with a lining 18a or 19a. The exhaust gas housing 17 also comprises a support construction with which are associated struts 20 which are arranged in a circumferentially distributed manner, extend radially between outer casing 18 and inner casing 19, and are also equipped with a lining (20a in FIG. 2). In the prior art, the linings 20a and 18a or 19a merge into each other without a gap and so form a continuous lining which protects the struts 20 and also the casings 18 and 19 against the hot exhaust gases, as is shown by way of example for one strut 20 in FIG. 2.
It has been revealed in the past that with such a design of the linings or of the exhaust gas housing 17 cracks already occur after a short operating time in the encompassing linings 18a and 19a, to be specific especially at the transitions from the radial struts 20 to the encompassing linings 18a and 19a. 
Disclosed in printed document U.S. Pat. No. 3,403,889 is an exhaust gas housing in which the inner boundary of the exhaust gas passage is formed by means of an inner housing which is provided with openings through which the radial struts extend in a slidable manner. The inner housing is movably connected to an inner frame section and can freely expand and contract when the temperature of the hot flow gases in the passage alters. This known solution is limited, however, by the (lacking) connection between struts and inner casing. Furthermore, a completely different constructional design of the housing is required from the outset in this case.
Printed document JP2010025006 proposes to provide additional, annular, welded connecting elements at the transitions between the struts and the linings of the casings for absorbing thermal stresses.
It is proposed in printed document US 2010/0275614 A1 to weld struts to the linings of the casings around the circumference and to additionally apply welded reinforcing seams on the leading edges and trailing edges of the struts in the transition regions in order to be able to better absorb thermal stresses which occur there.
In both cases, the thermal stresses are not relieved or eliminated but absorbed by means of additionally applied reinforcements so that the loads still exist to the full extent at the critical points.